Zheng Guozhong, the commander of the 769th Regiment, squatted on a rock at the brigade headquarters and smoked a dry cigarette. Compared with the sentries standing guard on the side, Commander Zheng's outfit looked somewhat unkempt. In fact, this is not surprising, the 769 Regiment under his command has just broken out of the Japanese encirclement for less than five hours, and it has only been more than two hours since it arrived at the regiment headquarters. But the depression in his heart was by no means caused by his unkempt and dusty unlucky appearance, he was distressed by the soldiers who died in this battle, many of them had been in the army for more than three or four years and had many combat experience. Not only that, but many cadres at the battalion and company level were also killed in this anti-sweeping battle, and many companies were left with only five or six men left. Whenever he thought of this, Regiment Commander Zheng always had to hang his head and sigh weakly in the face of the ant colony on the ground, which were all subordinates who had followed him for many years, and as a result, nearly two-thirds of them were lost in a battle, and his heart was dripping blood......

He was sipping a dry cigarette and was worried, when an acquaintance came not far away. This person's name is Wang Jianting, a veteran of the 73rd Division of the 25th Red Army, and currently the head of the 2nd Garrison Regiment of the 385th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army.

As soon as Head Wang saw the old man, his originally calm face blossomed, and he came to Head Zheng and greeted: "Yo, Lao Zheng, what are you doing here?" We old comrades-in-arms haven't seen each other for years, how are you doing lately? ”

Captain Zheng glanced at the other party for a few seconds, then turned his head again, continued to smoke the dry cigarette in his hand, and replied slightly: "What a fart, so poor that you have to be pants......"

Captain Wang's eyes rolled, and he sighed several times and comforted: "Look at your brother's temperament, the team has no fewer dead people this time, right?" Hey, look away, man. In these years, the local ordinary people have no place to save their lives, let alone those of us who carry guns. After so many years of fighting, you and I can still talk here is already a high incense, God is good to us. Speaking of which, I will also say a lot of words, you can probably give me a number, how many casualties did your regiment have this time? ”

"Removing the first battalion that has not yet returned, the casualties of the whole regiment are close to two-thirds, and it is estimated that the first battalion is also hanging, and nine times out of ten it is trapped in the encirclement of devils......" Regiment Commander Zheng gritted his teeth and said.

"Our second regiment is no better. To tell you the truth, all the company-level cadres in our regiment have been defeated, and the battalion-level cadres are almost the same, and an instructor has returned from the three battalions, and everyone else has died. Grassroots units are even more prominent, and many platoon commanders are acting squad leaders, and squad leaders have made up for the shortage of soldiers. His grandmother's, after so many years of fighting, it is the first time that Lao Tzu has suffered such a big loss, and he feels bad luck when he thinks about it! As he spoke, Captain Wang slammed his fist on the rock.

The two fell silent again......

I don't know how long it took, Tang Binghui, the head of the 7th Garrison Regiment, also strolled in front of the two, and took the initiative to break the deadlock with an unknown look: "Yo, Lao Zheng and Lao Wang, are they there?" What's going on today? Why are all the old guys here? ”

"Old Tang, you kid shouldn't be short-sighted, right? In the establishment of our brigade, there are not only you and me, but also the three regiments in Lao Zheng's hands, right? Everything else is for you to eat with steamed buns? "Captain Wang said in a weird way.

"Hey, isn't that what I mean? This 770 regiment was not a combat unit originally, and it usually wandered around the Yanhe River, and had nothing to do to help the villagers cut wheat and the soles of Nana's shoes. I heard that this time the anti-sweeping 770 withdrew to the Jizhong base area to recuperate, and it is far away from us. Eh, I mean, why is it so quiet now? Where is Yang Longfei's kid? The old guy of our brigade is having a party, can he be without Yang Longfei? Where is he? Why didn't I see him......"

"You think it's weird to you? Lao Zheng and I still wonder, who knows where this kid went? Yang Longfei, this kid, has always eaten and drunk without fail, and he doesn't let people take advantage, this time it can be regarded as a ...... Eh, this kid won't still be trapped in the encirclement of devils, right? Only then did I remember that when our regiment broke through the second blockade line of the devils, it collided with several armored vehicles of the devils in Xiaowangzhuang, and there were still words written on the iron sheet, what was it written? Oh, it's called the 385 Brigade Independent Regiment! I was in a hurry to command the troops to break through, and I didn't think about it that much, but now that I think about it, the more wrong it becomes. Alas, I said, who called you two to the brigade headquarters? ”

"Who else? Brigade Commander. Who else but him can have this face? As soon as our regiment broke through, I was not allowed to take a breath when the order came. When he was about to leave, he asked the correspondent to add a sentence, saying that he would leave immediately after receiving the order, as if he had a combat mission, and he was not allowed to ask for leave, and if anyone dared to grind at this critical juncture, he would be engaged in military law, and you could talk about ......it."

Head Tang hurriedly interrupted him and said, "Then why don't you go in?" Still looking at the Western scenery here? Let's go, hurry up, lest the brigade commander sprinkle the fire on us in a moment. ”

Head Zheng jumped off the rock, moved his slightly paralyzed muscles and bones, and then didn't forget to complain: "Isn't this fucking waiting for you?" As soon as Lao Tzu settled, he met Liu * Zi from the Political Department, saying that there were still a few people who had not arrived, so he had to let me wait outside, and then go in together when everyone arrived. I said, is there anyone else but the two of you? Don't go over for a while. ”

"What do you care about him so much? If there is a task, we will do it, and if there is no task, we will smear oil under the soles of our feet, the team finally rushed out, everyone is very busy, who has the leisure to stay here longer? ”

The three of them were about to go inside, when they heard a fierce quarrel outside the station, and saw a group of stragglers from unknown places arguing with the guards at the door......

The first person in the stragglers was a little impatient, and the guard who stopped him at the door only asked what part of the other party was according to the rules, and the leader only answered ambiguously with the number of "Old Third Regiment". Strictly speaking, this kind of answer is usually of little practical significance, because in the battle sequence of the Eighth Route Army, there are too many teams with the number "Old Third Regiment", and no matter how you say it, you should also report the name of the superior leader or which division and brigade it belongs to, so as to facilitate verification and confirmation. But the leader was a master who didn't care about the seedling, and under the tireless questioning of the guards, he only told the other party that his name was Fang Luocheng, and he was the head of the third regiment. The guards did not seem to buy this answer, he joined the army in September last year, and he has been in the army for less than a year, so the guards themselves do not know much about the specific situation of the regiments under the jurisdiction of the 129th Division.

The screening of the true identity of the unit in front of him fell into an embarrassment before it began, and as a guard, the first task was to intercept the other party outside the garrison before knowing whether the other party was a security person. As a result, the other party didn't buy it, and insisted on rushing in. The guards were furious when they saw this, and he shouted for nearby patrols to help, while raising his gun and aiming them as a warning.

"Alas, I said you can't enter, why are you still trying to break in? Alas, what's the matter with you, you can't understand it, don't you? Didn't I tell you everything? We need to ask for instructions...... Ahem, come on, someone is going to break into the brigade headquarters, shoot them down, and surround them! ”

As soon as Fang Luocheng heard this, he didn't fight anywhere, he said in his heart that he had just rushed out of the encirclement of the devils with the whole regiment of soldiers, and came to the station of the 385 Brigade by mistake, thinking that he could take the team to rest here, drink saliva, and fill his stomach, but this bullshit guard was stunned as a raw melon egg, and he took official words with one mouth! Ask? Tell the fart, please! Isn't this face and this dress the best proof of this? Damn, do you still want to get off Lao Tzu's gun? It's against you?

Fang Luocheng didn't hold back, raised a big hand stained with mud and blood and slapped it violently, slapped it directly on the guard's face impartially, and scolded by the way: "What a long skill?" Little rabbit cub, dare to put a gun at Lao Tzu? It's against you? ”

The guard was beaten for no reason, and naturally he refused to give up, and while pulling the bolt of his rifle, he shouted loudly: "Someone, someone is going to break into the brigade headquarters......

Before the words fell, the team that came from all directions rushed over and surrounded the gate of the station, and both sides were tense and had no intention of reconciling.

Zheng Guozhong and others witnessed the whole process of the incident in the rear and saw some clues. Regiment Commander Zheng patted his head and said, "Alas, how can I look like Fang Luocheng, the commander of the third regiment of the 120th Division, ......"

"I also seemed to be stunned just now when I heard that the person reported the number of the old third regiment, alas, according to the pre-deployment of the old third regiment, it should go to Fuping with the 359th brigade, how did you come here?" Head Wang also raised the same question.

"Don't you care about him? Let's go and see first, both sides are not fuel-efficient lamps, don't go out of the fire again, if it's really your own people, it will be difficult to end......" As soon as Captain Tang's words fell, the three of them hugged each other and walked towards the confrontation between the two sides......

Zheng Guozhong squeezed into the crowd and confirmed the identity of the other party without looking twice, he quickly stretched out his right hand and greeted Fang Luo Cheng: "Ouch, old Fang, I haven't seen you for many years, I said why did you kid come here?" ”

Fang Luocheng put away the gun, shook hands with Zheng Guozhong and said, "Hello, Lao Zheng, I haven't seen you for several years." No, our regiment just broke through from Yujialing and came here, and it was like a headless fly all over the world. On the way, I met a few militiamen, saying that our team was stationed here, so I wanted to come here to rest, but I didn't want people to be spies and stop outside! If you don't let you in, forget it, and put a gun at Lao Tzu......"

Commander Tang called the beaten guard aside and scolded, "Why are you so short-sighted? Haven't you heard of the number of the old third regiment? Okay, don't be aggrieved, in the future, I have nothing to do to ask the veterans of your company for advice, and prepare enough homework in this area. Remember? Keep an eye on it in the future. ”

"Okay, okay, old man, it's all a misunderstanding. Your brother is also a sincere person, so don't be like these little soldiers...... Come, come, brethren, put them all away, take them, take them! The insurance is also turned off, don't go too far. We don't need this pomp when we meet, what should we do, let's disperse! Commander Wang beckoned at both ends, and when the soldiers dispersed, he asked again, "Alas, I said the old side, according to the pre-war deployment, shouldn't the newly established defense area of your regiment be in the area of Fuping?" How did you turn back to Shanxi? Do you know about it? ”

"Knowing a fart, I lost contact after a short time after the battle started...... Alas, I said, will you be able to ask this question in the future? Let's get down to business first, is there anything ready to eat here? Our requirements are not high, if you can have a bowl of wild vegetables to drink! Lao Tzu knows, this cold is hungry for a few days, everything smells fragrant, and everything is good when you see the! Fang Luocheng covered his shriveled stomach, looking a little impatient.

Brigade Commander Chen Xilian was standing in front of a map staring at it without saying a word, and the plan hidden in his mind had begun to take shape, and it could be put into practice only after all the commanders and fighters of each regiment were in place.

Chief of Staff Fan Chaoli entered the house and reminded softly: "Brigade commander, several outsiders have been ordered to arrive, and the third regiment of the 120th Division has also been stationed in our defense area, and I am arranging for them to eat in the room, do you want to call them?" ”

"The old third regiment? 359 Brigade Luo Cheng's troops? Shouldn't they cross the Yellow River west and settle into the Fuping area? How did you get to us? Brigade Commander Chen asked puzzled.

"I don't know the specifics, but I think they have gone through several vicious battles, many of the soldiers' clothes have been torn, I heard that the ammunition has also run out, and most of the firearms in their hands have lost their practical use. I don't think they will violate the pre-war deployment of the division headquarters for no reason, and they will have their own difficulties in changing the route of the march in the middle of the way. As far as the enemy and our armies are concerned, the war situation is changing rapidly, and the difference between victory and defeat may only lie in a single thought. Therefore, it is understandable that sometimes the troops cannot carry out the pre-planned deployment, but turn to be flexible and mobile according to their own circumstances. ”

"Well, it seems that this is also providence, and in this case it actually gave me a regiment of troops for nothing. Correspondent, pass my order, immediately go to the back mountain and call me the few outsiders who have come from the regiments, and bring me my words to them, so that they will not be busy talking about the old days, and if they have any whispers to talk about later, let them rush to the headquarters for me at once, and go quickly! With a wave of his hand, the correspondent took the order.

Less than ten minutes later, the four of them appeared outside the door of the headquarters. Almost at the same time, the four of them stepped into the threshold, entered the house, and saluted the brigade commander in unison.

Brigade Commander Chen raised his eyelids, and after scanning the bodies of the four people one by one, he finally stopped his gaze on Fang Luocheng's body. I saw the brigade commander raise his chin at the other party and ask, "What's the matter with you?" So silently led troops to my defense area, and I heard that my guards were beaten? You're a great boy! What's going on? ”

"Old brigade commander, this is not my first move, you listen to me......" Fang Luocheng hurriedly explained.

Brigade Commander Chen turned his palms outward and said to Fang Luocheng: "Come on, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense now, this is something I need to discuss with your brigade commander." When I have free time, I have to ask him, who gave him the rights of his subordinates? Dare to hit someone while coming uninvited? I will ask him to apologize to me personally on the phone, and you can rest for a while......" Then he asked solemnly to the other three regiment commanders: "I know that you are all very busy, after nearly four days of fighting, some troops have suffered more than half of the casualties, and I heard that some troops have been mixed up to the point that they are not even as good as the county brigade, I know this." To be honest, I wouldn't really bother you at this time if there wasn't anything too big. Come on, come and have a look......"

The four of them followed Brigade Commander Chen's direction to the huge military topographical map hanging on the wall, on which the distribution of enemy forces and the combat situation outlined in red and blue pencils were clear and clear, and the vanguard troops of both sides were interspersed in a dog-tooth pattern, covering almost the entire Shanxi. Although several wings under the 36th Division of the Japanese Army have shrunk their strength and turned the offensive into a defensive state, their edge has not diminished at all before the war, and while entering a defensive posture, they still maintain a state of confrontation with several main regiments under the command of the 129th Division of our army.

"According to the information provided by the forward observation post, the 36th and 69th divisions of the enemy's main force stationed in the First Army of Jinzhong are currently shrinking their forces and retreating to the north, and at present, only three wings of the Japanese army in the Jinzhong area are left to stand by. In addition, according to the internal lines of our army planted in Yangquan and Luye, the devils in these two strongholds did not know what order they had received, and suddenly sent troops out of the city to march to the west and south respectively, with more than 1,000 troops. In several Japanese-occupied areas around this area, the Japanese military police and a number of puppet army units in the city also gathered in the vicinity of the city gate, closing the city gate and distributing ammunition according to the base number, as if they were suspected of preparing for war. According to the latest confirmation, there should still be our troops in these Japanese-occupied areas, and there are two flashpoints, one in Beijiapo, 50 kilometers away from Yangquan, and the other in Dawangzhuang, 73 kilometers away from Luye. I think Yang Longfei's independent regiment should be trapped in one of them......"

Zheng, Wang, and Tang couldn't help but swallow their saliva after listening to each other's eyes for a while, as expected, this time they came to the brigade headquarters to report that they were really here for the matter of the independent regiment, and it seemed that Yang Longfei's kid had an accident......

Among the four, only Fang Luocheng didn't know what to do, so he just asked in a daze: "Independent regiment?" Yang Longfei, this kid has an accident again? ”

Brigade Commander Chen pursed his lips and said, "Nearly four days have passed since the battle began, but there has been no news of the independent regiment so far. In this case, there are only two possibilities, either the independent regiment was wiped out by the devils, or Yang Longfei and they were still trapped in the encirclement and did not rush out. Either way, I can't sit idly by, we have to take the initiative. The purpose of calling you here this time is to assign you new combat missions, the encirclement of the encirclement point, and the blocking of the blockade. In addition, I have telegraphed to the 386th Brigade to ask them to cooperate with us in completing this mission, and the 771st and 772nd Regiments have set out to carry out feints against the defenders stationed in Yangquan and Luye respectively, so as to attract as many troops as possible from the city to return to defense. As for the specific distribution of your four regiments, it is up to you to decide, and there is only one principle, that is, to hold on to your respective positions for ten hours, and in less than ten hours, even if the sky falls, you have to use your head to resist it, and if your head is crooked, you have to use your shoulders to hold it. ”

"Got it!" The four regiment commanders replied in unison.

Chief of Staff Fan was worried: "Brigade commander, should we first react to the headquarters before we start?" In any case, the 385 Brigade is still directly under the jurisdiction of the headquarters, and even if there is a combat mission, it is best to report to the headquarters. If you conceal it and don't report it, if something goes wrong and you don't rescue the independent regiment, you will put other troops in it. At that time, we will be convicted of mobilizing troops without authorization and disobeying commands, and this responsibility will not be light......

"I don't have time, but if there is a little possibility in that regard, I will also ask the boss for instructions. Now the fate of Yang Longfei's regiment is unknown, and the radio signal is also unstable, if you wait for the approval of the headquarters before dispatching, I am afraid that the independent regiment has already been eaten by the enemy! It has been decided, the original plan remains unchanged, you each choose your own defense area, block the attack in sections, and all the artillery battalions, cavalry battalions, and special service battalions directly under the brigade headquarters will be dispatched. Don't have any scruples about the attacking troops, let me go and fight with my life! As long as there is one person left, keep attacking! The headquarters blames it, and I'll take it! Is it all clear? Brigade Commander Chen said with a final word.

"Brigade commander, I'm in charge of Hanjiatan, I think once Yangquan and Luye start, the devils in Pingyang will definitely not be idle. I promise you and the chief of staff that you will hold on to Hanjiatan for ten hours, and within ten hours, you will never let the devils cross Hanjiatan by half a step! Head Zheng Guozhong took a selfie of his chest and asked.

"Brigade commander, our 2nd Garrison Regiment is responsible for the defense of Lingshi, the throat of Jinzhong here, once the war starts, I estimate that the devils in Pingyang will also come to get a piece of the pie, I will take our regiment to stare at the highway line of Lingshi, it is easy to come here, it is not so simple to think from here!" Head Wang Jianting took over the conversation.

"Then the position of Shilipu will be handed over to our 7th regiment, which is the closest to the Japanese army on the Linfen side, if it is really a fight with the devil's heavy army group, the devils stationed in Linfen will definitely not watch the excitement from the sidelines. Biting to death, this place belongs to me, as long as there is one person left in our group, I will not let the little devil's plaster flag pass by us! Head Tang Binghui finally clapped his head.

Before Fang Luocheng could speak, Brigade Commander Chen Xilian nodded in agreement: "Okay, since you all know it in your hearts, I won't say anything more." Remember, all of your current teams have rushed out of the tiger's mouth, and although the troops are insufficient, the rest are the best of the best. To cope with this situation, we must learn to flexibly grasp the fighter planes and never fight hard with the enemy. Although I have always advocated taking the initiative to attack, we do not yet have the strength to start a decisive battle with the enemy. How this battle ends, please judge the situation. After the battle, I invite you to drink, authentic Xinghua Village! ”

"Yes!" After the three regiment commanders Zheng, Wang, and Tang stood up and saluted, they turned around and strode out of the brigade compound, each performing his own duties.

Brigade Commander Chen once again placed his gaze on Fang Luocheng's body, and asked rather mysteriously, "Do you have any plans?" ”

Fang Luocheng knocked his feet and "snapped" and said: "Obey the order and obey the command!" ”

"I know the relationship between you and Yang Longfei, you two are old comrades-in-arms, they have been together for so many years, and the feelings between each other are naturally shallow. You two don't say anything, but I can see that when you meet, you don't say a word, you first scold your mother, and when you scold you, you start to greet you with your fists and feet. But if something really happens, when you are injured, dismissed, or punished, you are the first to stand up and care and intercede, you are cheap, I didn't wronged you two, right? To get back to the point, judging from the movements of the surrounding Japanese troops, although the independent regiment is more auspicious, it will not be eaten by the enemy in a short time. Otherwise, the devils on the Yangquan and Luye sides wouldn't have to make such a big move. I have a certain intention to leave you Fang Luocheng alone, I hope you can lead the team into the area of Beijiapo and directly reinforce Yang Longfei's regiment. Of course, I won't let you and your subordinates fight the devils with burning sticks, and I'll give you ammunition according to the base. In addition, the cavalry battalion directly under the brigade is also under your command, and how this battle will be fought is your business! I only have one request, no matter what kind of danger the independent regiment encounters, even if it falls into the tiger's mouth, you will drag Yang Longfei's kid out at all costs! I want to see people in life, and I want to see corpses in death! ”

"Don't worry, brigade commander, I promise to complete the mission!" After Fang Luocheng straightened his chest and tucked his abdomen, he gave a more standard military salute to Brigade Commander Chen.

"Without further ado, leave immediately with the cavalry battalion, I am waiting for your good news!"

"Take care, old chief!"

……

As it got dark, the Japanese troops in charge of chasing down the Independence Regiment began to slow down their march. Just as Brigade Commander Chen Xilian said, after four days of fighting, both the enemy and us have entered a period of combat fatigue: food and ammunition are scarce, troops are scarce, the front is frustrated, and morale is low...... A series of questions ensued that could determine the final outcome of the battle, and both armies gritted their teeth at the last minute of the battle, striving to hold out until the opponent collapsed before falling. Both sides have a scale in their hearts, and whoever can survive tomorrow morning's decisive battle will be the ultimate winner of this battle.

That being said, neither side was 100% sure that the adversary would not take advantage of the darkness to attack their positions. Therefore, although the two sides put away the confrontation between the guns and cannons, the sentries still insisted on their posts, performing boring squatting tasks, so as not to prevent the other party from taking the lead and taking the lead.

The two armies were only 150 meters apart from each other, and the sentinels of the two armies were not so much nocturnal spirits as lonely ghosts with no home and no home. In order to refresh themselves with the little energy they had, the two of them could only stand and walk around the open space outside the fortifications like fools, fearing changes as they walked, and occasionally glancing at each other.

In the moonlight, the two sentinels soon spotted each other, but they all obeyed the unwritten rule that had been circulated in both teams: a truce tonight, recuperating in the hope of fighting again tomorrow.

The two sentries stood straight in place, looking at each other motionlessly with their firearms in their arms. At this moment, the hearts of both parties are in a state of absolute peace, like water. Their eyes have long been devoid of the murderous and vicious spirit they once had, and the deep hatred and hatred between each other seem to have vanished in this calm night, and all that can be seen are the two vicissitudes of life and the expressions of distraction, as well as the calmness and indifference shown by a battle-hardened soldier in the face of this situation......

Yang Longfei, who was curled up in the fortifications and fell asleep, shivered coldly and then woke up from his dream, then stretched his waist with his eyes squinted. He deliberately loosened the collar of his clothes, only to find that the shirt he was wearing under his military uniform was soaking wet. Yang Longfei muttered in his heart, and said in his heart, why are these clothes wet? Could it be the sweat that comes out of sleep?

Speaking of this, Yang Longfei suddenly remembered a series of strange dreams he had just had when he was asleep. He vaguely remembered that he was fighting bayonets with a few devil soldiers in his dream, and he didn't know where he got such good energy, and he was not afraid to face four or five devils. On the contrary, his knife skills have risen, and the hit point of each knife is in the vital part of the devil. But the strange thing is that no matter how you cut it, those ghost soldiers are stunned as if they are nothing, they neither see blood nor die, and the big blade in their hands seems to have been chopped into a pile of cotton, no matter how powerful it is, what the fuck is this? Not only that, but after those devil soldiers found out that they had a pair of invulnerable bodies, they were excited as if they had eaten bee feces, and without saying a word, they picked up their bayonets and stabbed at Yang Longfei's body. At the moment when the bayonet was about to stab him in the chest, Yang Longfei suddenly woke up from his dream, only to find that he was in a cold sweat......

After Yang Longfei wiped the beads of sweat off his cheeks with his dark palm, he planned to change his position and continue to sleep from the previous sleep, but what frustrated him was that because of the illogical "nightmare" just now, he actually lost sleep. Could it be that you slept soundly before sleeping? Yang Longfei broke his fingers and said in his heart, no, he slept for less than five hours after he was full of calculations! Where is this? Good guy, Lao Tzu didn't close his eyes for three days and three nights, and now he only squints for five hours? It seems that the old saying is still answered, if people are unlucky, they will hit their heels when they fart! Thinking about himself as a cheap bone, it's so easy to pass away, the other soldiers are sleeping soundly, and I'm the only one who has lost sleep, where the hell is this reasonable?